we love you tipper gore

on parenting and censorship

I am like the band Furnaceface. I love Tipper Gore.

She’s the wife of Al.

Tipper, in the 80’s wanted to censor music. She wanted to protect youth from obscene (poor) people who sang obscene (not middle class) lyrics. As a suburban kid with a love of punk rock, that skanky censoring POS was partially responsible for the foundation of the PMRC - the Parents Music Resource Centre. Why is this important?

The PMRC were responsible for the labels on records. You know, those black and white (lack of nuance) warnings of ‘PARENTAL ADVISORY EXPLICIT LYRICS’. Those labels were helpful. They told people like me which records to buy.

They told me about Nirvana. They told me about Suicidal Tendencies. They told me about NWA, The 2 Live Crew. The Beasties, Metallica, LL Cool J and RunDMC? They all had albums out before Tipper started her shrill calls for censorship.

As a dad?

I kinda have a bit of compassion for Tipper and her pack of Washington Wives. I was driving to the barn the other day with my fourteen year old son in the car. I put on some music from my youth. Marshal Mathers came up in my playlist. The Real Slim Shady is a favorite of mine. I turned it up.

My bum is on your lips, my bum is on your lips

And if I’m lucky, you might just give it a little kiss.

Oops. My son giggled. The next song was by Canadian ska legends Me, Mom and Morgantaler

¹

. It’s called Laura.

Laura!

What?

I love you like a never befor-a

You just wanna fuck my ass

Opps.

After that?

It was Ween with Piss up a Rope:

[Chorus]
You can piss up a rope
And you can put on your shoes, hit the road, get truckin'
Pack your bag, I don't need the ag
On your knees, you big booty bitch, start suckin'
You ride my ass like a horse in a saddle
Now you're up shit's creek with a turd for a paddle
And I can't cope, piss up a rope

Oops.

That’s three. And there, there’s no Beastie Boys, No Wu-Tang and no Dayglo Abortions with album titles like Feed us a Fetus, and Here Today Guano Tomorrow.

My son squirmed a bit then laughed. He shot me a doubtful look. I’m not certain why. This was the kind of music I was discovering as a young teen. By the time I was his age, I could recite both of Eddie Murphy’s comedy specials (RAW and DELERIOUS) verbatim.

They were obnoxious. My mom didn’t know. My dad did though. He’s the one who rented it for me on Betamax way back in the day. We laughed and laughed and laughed.

When my kids were younger, it was easy to hide the things I love - Bill Burr, Anthony Jeslenek, Jimmy Carr, South Park, Family Guy, Archer - these are the only things I watch.

Now, they stay up later. Now they pay attention to what’s coming from the television. Now they listen to and understand the lyrics. Now, things are sometimes a little awkward.

Did you listen to ‘problematic’ music in your youth?

What happens when you have teens and the stuff you listened to as a teen discusses uncomfortable, ugly and problematic things in an inappropriate way?

How do you discuss things like this?

Are you still able to enjoy songs like No Sheep till Brixton by the Macc Lads?

Sheep, sheep everywhere
The little wooly fuckers are all over the place
Sheep, sheep everywhere
We're fighting for the one with the prettiest face

Stay foolish my fiends.

1. Henry Mogantaler was a famous Canadian OBGYN. He fought for women’s access to abortions by establishing and running a series of safe, clean, professional clinics here in Canada